The Freezing Night
by Keijo6
Summary: At the beginning of a new Cold Time, sickness creeps into the Great Valley and brings a long-dreaded tragedy with it. At the dark of the night, a life fades and the the Valley will never be the same again. Her friends are left with the monumental task of finding the comfort in their friend's words and trying to accept the unacceptable.


**The Freezing Night**

The fading, cold light of the Bright Circle lighted the snow-covered landscape of the Great Valley, its last rays slowly disappearing behind the western mountains. Soon, one of the first days of the Cold Time would be over and the usual tranquility of the night would shroud the residents of the Valley in its embrace. However, for some of its denizens, the coming night would be a far call from the normal, sweet time of rest. A heavy unseen cloud floated in the air around the nest of the swimmer family, one that the dinosaurs present sensed would spell a great tragedy upon them.

However, all of that mattered little to Ducky who was sleeping uneasily in her nest. Her breaths were heavy and wheezed dreadfully. Each breath she took seemed harder than the last one and they would ever more frequently turn into violent coughs that were accompanied by a sickening feeling in her lungs and far too often, with blood sputtering in the snow around her. The swimmer's mother looked at her sleep in deep anguish, fully knowing her daughter would more than likely never recover from such a terrifying sickness. Spike was on her side, fighting to contain his constant sobs to give at least some relief to his adopted mother.

It had all started with a slight cough nearly a week ago. Back then there was little reason for concern because it all seemed like a regular, temporary sickness but slowly, the cough turned into a fever which soon started to slowly rise. It wasn't long until she started to shudder and her mind slowly starting to fade into deep sleep. During the last three days, her condition had degenerated into this hopeless, slowly-fading tragedy.

Five other dinosaurs waited silently on Ducky's other side as they hoped for a miracle that would save their friend. Each of them felt horrified and empty inside and they struggled to hold their composure together. Apart from Spike, Petrie had the hardest time. He was standing on Littlefoot's back, silently crying as he saw Ducky's struggle. Littlefoot was standing stoically, his lowered neck reflecting his resignation and exhaustion. He slowly turned to look at Chomper who broke the silence with a question that all of the dinosaurs present were asking themselves.

"What are we going to do without her? She… she can't die!" Chomper's voice was full of disbelief as he tried to understand the situation. True, he had seen his share of death during his time with his parents but, unlike most of his friends, he had never before faced the possible death of a loved one. Cera answered in an unusually weak voice for her, one that clearly hid deep sorrow and unshed tears.

"Don't say that, Chomper. Ducky's been with us for too long… she'll pull this off." Even through Cera's hopeful words, the threehorn's despair shone through.

"Like she has always done. Ducky, please… do get better soon." Littlefoot tried to force a weak smile to his face but each and every piece of his optimism faded away as the swimmer suddenly convulsed heavily. Littlefoot looked away as he didn't wish to see his old friend's struggles to stay alive. The longneck felt guilty at being unable to do anything for her friend who had saved him from another deadly disease: his despair after the death of his mother. Suddenly, he heard Ruby's slightly hopeful voice.

"Am I only seeing things or… is she waking up? Or do I actually see what I see?" The Gang's eyes turned back to Ducky who was intermittently and weakly but apparently consciously moving her hands. Slowly, her left eye started to open and her head rise from her resting place. Every dinosaur present wished nothing more than to run and speak to her but they gently gave way for her mother, siblings and Spike. They were the ones most obliged to speak to her during whatever time she may have left.

"Ducky? I'm here, dear. How are you feeling?"

The younger swimmer didn't react to the words at first and she only lied still for a moment until she begun to move again. Ducky shook heavily as she tried to take a sitting position and soon found it impossible to maintain. Her voice was hauntingly weak as she finally said her first words of the day. The cold wind almost hid her words but her mother still could hear them with great effort.

"Mama? Is that you?" Ducky saw only vague images floating above her, only being able to tell the speaker's identity due to her voice. There were no coherent thoughts in her head, only intense cold and numbness.

"Yes, Ducky. Thank goodness you're awake. It's alright." Her mother tried to comfort Ducky down as her eyes scanned the surroundings heavily without seeing too much. The swimmer calmed down only after Spike approached to nuzzle her in a sad manner. However, this alone managed to end her uneasiness for a moment.

"Don't… do that, Spike. That tickles, it does." Ducky's words were louder and clearer this time as the words came to her mind by instinct, even if her conscious mind couldn't quite put the pieces together as fast.

Spike slowly pulled off from his adopted sister and let out a few grunts that were unintelligible for most those present. Ducky, however, begun to smile softly as she heard Spike's "words". She hated to see her adopted brother in this state but it warmed up her heart that he was still at her side. However, a sudden gust of wind made shivers creep down her spine and her trembling even more violent.

"It's okay. I'm just happy that you're here. I feel terrible… but at least I'm still here. I'm just so tired." The swimmer curled to the ground, trying to fight off the cold to her best extent. She knew that her chances would be far better if it were still warm but the Cold Time was a merciless force. There was no running from the biting freeze. Her mother saw this and immediately went to her daughter's side in order to provide her with any shelter she could give.

Littlefoot could only grind his teeth together as he begun to approach the two swimmers. His steps felt surreal, as if they were not his own but still the inconsolable longneck approached each passing second. When he was close enough, he spoke in a soft, concerned voice. He knew speaking drained a lot of his friend's strength but he still wanted to make sure Ducky knew her friends were still with her.

"Ducky? The wind should settle by night. It'll be alright. We'll be with you." Littlefoot's voice trembled and it was near to be being broken by his own emotional woes. Ducky once again took a moment before she answered.

"Thank you, Littlefoot. Whatever happens, I hope it'll be better than this… I hope for the best, I do…" After those words, Ducky coughed violently and then shivered in fear. It was apparent that talking was taking a heavy toll on her.

"Don't say anything more, Ducky. Just try to rest." Cera whispered as she moved to her side. She and Littlefoot moved to Ducky's other side to provide whatever warmth they could. Sheltered by her mother and friends, the warmth started to slowly flow into her limbs. The swimmer smiled happily as she once again fell into her deep slumber. Even now, she was surrounded by her loved ones who wished nothing more to see her play, laugh and walk once more. Her last thoughts before the darkness once again clouded her thoughts were guided at her family and friends who stood by her until the end.

 _I'll see you all tomorrow… Just be there when I wake up again, please._

* * *

The three dinosaurs lied silently, the darkening winter night tightening its grip over the frigid Valley. No words were exchanged and all of the assembled could feel the coldness creeping into their bodies and the fear into their minds. It was only by mate evening that the elder swimmer finally spoke to the five younger dinosaurs.

"There's no reason for you to stay here the whole night. You may come back tomorrow but you should get some sleep too." She spoke silently in order to not wake up Ducky. The Gang exchanged glances swiftly and they knew that the swimmer was right. Staying here awake whole night would at most make the situation even worse for everyone. Even then, all of them feared that the worst could come to pass before the morning arrived. Ducky had survived for three days now but how many more would there be? Finally, Littlefoot answered.

"Alright. We'll return tomorrow. Ducky, please wait for us. We'll return soon." Each of her friends spoke their farewell to their sick friend and one by one, headed for their homes. Gone was the enthusiastic, relieved way they usually returned home, replaced by a fearful and beaten walk that seemed to continue forever.

Spike looked at his friends leave. The spiketail felt a mixture of relief and loneliness now that he was left alone with his family. On one hand, the overall atmosphere of concern dissipated somewhat but simultaneously, the comforting presence of his old friends made him feel even more miserable. The spiketail moved Ducky's side, to the same spot Cera was lying a moment earlier. Spike looked at his adopted mother who whispered to him in a silent voice.

"Try to sleep, Spike. There's nothing we can do now but keep her warm. If we're lucky, she might feel better tomorrow." The swimmer's voice was exhausted but she tried to keep it as gentle as she could. She hadn't sleep during the last few nights so she could only barely stay awake as it was. Spike let out a sad moan as he registered his mother's words. She was right, of course, but Spike just felt like he wasn't allowed to sleep. He, too, was tired but he wished to stay by her sister's side for as long as he could.

No further words were exchanged between the two dinosaurs as they slowly fell to a half-sleep, kept partially awoke by their constant worry. As the coldness of the winter night settled around the hapless family, sleep slowly but surely but surely engulfed the dinosaurs in their midst.

* * *

Spike's dreams were far from peaceful or happy. No matter how hard he tried to ignore them, the images of his sister flowed into his mind's eye. The spiketail was sometimes only watching Ducky's silent struggle and sometimes he watched her passing, unable to help his beloved sister. The most disturbing ones were the dreams where the swimmer had recovered but still unable to rejoin her friends. Those dreams grew more frequent the longer the night dragged on. It seemed as if she was still there but beyond their reach.. He could her voice ringing in his ears but they sounded like they weren't from this world. It was… as if it was a voice of a living ghost. Spike looked at the smaller dinosaur in horror when she finally started to vanish. All of it seemed surreal when the light green swimmer's form started to turn transparent and finally disappear. The spiketail tried to run to her but only a gentle sound of a cold wind whispered to him.

 _It's too late now, Spike. Thank you for everything. I love you._

* * *

Spike woke up immediately from his slumber, taking many panicked gasps as he looked into the distance. A breath of frigid wind greeted his senses when he opened his eyes. The dark walls of the Valley glimmered in their white cover, forming an enchanting sight for anyone who paid attention to them. The spiketail, however, remembered his dream immediately and turned to look at his sister who was still lying between him and their mother. Spike calmed down when he saw her sleeping peacefully. He was about to continue his sleep when he noticed something that woke him up immediately. Ducky's sleep was far too peaceful.

Gone were the constant trembling, horrible coughs and twitches. She was lying peacefully as she always had but Spike felt a sickening, grasping weight take a grip upon him. He quickly put his paw in front of her mouth but he could feel no warm air coming from her mouth. And neither did he feel heartbeat or warmth from her body. Spike lay there for many seconds, struggling to understand what he had just learned. He hid his head into the snow and tried to wish the situation away.

Moments passed slowly, with Spike's panic deepening by the minute. The spiketail wasn't usually the one to panic but then again, Ducky had usually been there to help and comfort him. Now, however, he felt truly alone, despite the fact that his family surrounded him. Even if they had readily accepted him among them, only Ducky had ever understood his words and his behavior fully. It was this swimmer that most likely had saved him from starvation during his infancy: hadn't it been for Ducky he would have died soon after his birth. The same swimmer who had brightened his life immeasurably, who had been there for him always… To think that she was gone…

The spiketail let out a deep wail, one that could be heard far away from the swimmers' nest. His mother woke up immediately with a terrifying feeling and she knew immediately the reason for her adopted son's sorrow. She quickly turned to her daughter and immediately noticed the same things that Spike had.

* * *

Petrie hadn't managed to sleep a moment due to the constant fear of losing his closest friend. He had wandered often to the ledge of his nest to look at the Swimmers' location but had quickly decided that there was nothing to see. His fear-filled moments slowly stretched into minutes, hours and slowly the dreadful night seemed to proceed without any major developments. Even if the flier knew that her situation was unlikely to improve, he was slowly starting to drift into the helpful thought that this night wouldn't be Ducky's last.

The sleep was slowly starting to creep into Petrie's mind. The wind howled in the cliff outside the stone shelter that was his family's nest. It was starting to snow lightly and the little view of the opposite range of mountains was starting to vanish in the gentle curtain of white. Petrie closed his eyes and prepared to say goodbye to the passed day when he heard it. The terrible wailing of a familiar voice. The flier knew immediately whom this voice belonged to. This kind of sound from Ducky's brother could mean only one thing. Petrie rose to a sitting position and sat still, staring the stone wall absentmindedly.

None of his family seemed to wake up as the wintery wind did swallow some of Spike's voice. Slowly but surely, tears started to form in the flier's eyes, tears for his dear friend who would never return to his side. Petrie's mind was in a lockdown: he felt the magnitude of the situation but the overflow of memories and thoughts weren't able to come out just yet. Slowly but surely, the brown flier walked out of the stone shelter and moved to mourn and wail on the outside cliff. He slowly descended into a half-panicked crying. Whatever would come to pass, his and the swimmers' life would be irrevocable changed for the worse. The deepening shroud of white hid the flier slowly as the night dragged on.

* * *

Cera woke up with a frightened gasp. No matter how much she wished to believe so herself, she wasn't immune to nightmares on times of disaster. She panted for a moment until her mind once again wandered to Ducky. The threehorn hadn't heard Spike's scream due to her nest being further towards the Sinking Sand than the swimmers'. Cera quickly looked around her, noticing the still-sleeping forms of her father, stepmother and little sister. She soon begun her journey to check if Ducky was alright.

Even if Ducky had lived through many sickly nights, each of her friends could see that she was growing weaker every day. Cera knew that the sight that was waiting her could very well be what she dreaded the most. Her trek advanced slowly due to the high amount of snow. Here and there the other residents were awaking to a new day, their lives completely unaffected by the night's tragedy. Seeing a morning so like all the ones in the last years calmed her down somewhat but the deep grip of horror still stayed in her mind. The distant sound of the Roaring Falls soothed the threehorn's senses as she prepared to meet the news of the day.

* * *

Spike's eyes were red with tears as he and his siblings tried to do the impossible task and come to terms with the new situation. Ducky had been moved from the nest to minimize the chance of her infection spreading but she was still close enough to be seen. She was in a sitting position by the tree, as if she was only resting for a moment. Petrie had been the first one to arrive in the morning due to his nightly shock. The flier was by Spike's side, as inconsolable as the swimmers. Spike looked in grief-filled eyes as Cera came to his view from behind the hills.

The threehorn's heart dropped as she saw her two friends and Ducky's family in their current state. She immediately knew why and her pace dropped tremendously. Each step she took felt surreal and wrong: she couldn't believe she was going to see her friend for the last time. When Cera was close enough to Spike, she stopped and waited for a moment. There was no reason to make things worse by asking the obvious. All that was left was to come to terms with the reality and pray that Ducky was feeling better now.

"Where is she?" Cera's voice sounded more like a growl than a question. She didn't care in the least if it made her look softer than she was taught to, she only wanted to bid her beloved friend the goodbye she deserved.

Spike looked at the threehorn with horror-filled eyes. He knew Cera felt the same as him despite their usual problems in communication. Spike grunted silently and noted towards the tree Ducky was leaning on. Cera twitched as she saw her like this but she said nothing. Slowly, she started to approach the little swimmer. Initially, Cera had hoped to retain his firm exterior but the full weight of the situation fell upon him when she approached Ducky.

This was one of her oldest friends, lying there lifeless in front of her. Here the swimmer was, completely still with closed eyes that saw nothing.

 _It's just wrong! Why Ducky? She was the last one to deserve this! Ducky, please wake up!_

The threehorn started to shake and then she collapsed to the ground, weeping uncontrollably. Memories of Ducky as the voice of the tar monster, her reunion with her friends after being kidnapped by Pterano and the all the times playing Swimmer and Splasher… It took a herculean effort to rise back to her feet and nuzzle the passed swimmer for the last time. She spoke the very only words that she could think of in this horrifying moment, tears brawling out from her eyes in an abatable manner.

"I'm so sorry, Ducky! You didn't deserve this! No one does… Why… why can't you just wake up…" The threehorn twitched heavily as she felt a touch on her neck. Cera turned out to look at the newcomer but wasn't particularly surprised to see that it was Littlefoot. The longneck was trembling inconsolably but he spoke intermittently and with a weak voice.

"She was all that I… we could ever ask for. Ducky… was the best of us." Unlike Cera, Littlefoot had seen all of this before and while it did little alleviate his pain, it gave him a better context to try to accept the tragedy. Words that he had heard so long ago flowed into his mind as if he had heard them yesterday.

 _The great Circle of Life has begun, but you see, not all of us arrive together at the end._

Littlefoot still remembered his encounter with the old dinosaur who called himself Rooter. His words had perhaps saved the young longneck's life once and they helped him in trying to understand his present better. Cera looked at her friend for a moment and then turned her gaze to Ducky once again. The rest of their friends arrived one by one, trying to console the inconsolable and come to terms with yet another tragedy in their short lives. This continued for hours until the swimmer family decided to put their fallen member into her final rest.

* * *

The day finally turned twice into night and to day again. At first, each member of the Gang kept to themselves, trying to calm down and begin the process towards eventual healing. However, it was most difficult for Spike who felt his sister's presence everywhere. In the nest, in the nearby pond, even at the surrounding hills ready to come up with another exciting idea or story. The overall atmosphere in the family almost forced the spiketail away from them. In this time of need, he truly felt that while he was family, he wasn't like them. Ducky had been one of the kind, the only one to fully make him understood. He was about to move towards a more sheltering place to try to sort out his own thoughts when he saw a very familiar dinosaur approach him.

"There you are, Spike! W… wanna come play? It does little good if we just stick to ourselves, don'tcha think?" Chomper's face was forcibly positive and hid the obvious grief but his words were genuine. However, Spike seemed to hesitate for a moment. He couldn't question the sharptooth's logic but he just wasn't on the mood. The spiketail grunted shortly to which Chomper frowned slightly. Littlefoot had asked to gather everyone but especially Spike. If he dwelled on his regrets for too long, there might be unsavory consequences.

"Come on, Spike! We've planned to explore those hills near The Great Stone Walkover! We've planned to do that for ages!" Spike was beginning to understand that even without any enthusiasm for doing anything without his sister, it might be helpful to try to do something else today. Moreover, he didn't want to upset his friends even further. He let out a resigned groan to which Chomper tried to answer to with as cheerful voice as he could. The sharptooth was extremely upset with the current situation but he hadn't lived with Ducky every day of his life like most of his friends. He wanted to help Spike in his hour of need.

"Nice! Come, they're not far!"

* * *

Cera looked at the two newcomers with weary and melancholic eyes. Even if she was happy to see Spike join them, she couldn't shake off the feeling that the Gang lacked one member. Even without considering the overflowing sadness present, the overall atmosphere felt… moodier without the ever-positive and cheerful swimmer.

"So you could come, Spike." The threehorn noted matter-of-factly. Spike looked at her for a short time until Littlefoot spoke in a silent and broken yet controlled voice. It was still weak and the sorrow was still evident but it already carried his normal curiousness and friendliness.

"The Great Stone Walkover and the hills are a long way from here. We better get going if we are going to return by the time the Great Circle starts to fall."

"It'll be an eternity until then! It won't take that long!" Chomper asked in a confused voice. He had an idea of where they were going but he couldn't quite remember the exact distance. Cera, however, sighed and said in a dismissing voice.

"The ice is sure to slow us down, Chomper. We should go, I don't want to waste too much time here."

There was very little conversation during the six dinosaurs' journey through the wintery land. Luckily for them, the temperature was rising so coldness wasn't an issue anymore. However, the thaw brought slippery ice with it which further slowed the journey down. The overall mood seemed to be getting little better during the trek, however. Littlefoot took an internal sigh as he contemplated the situation. Each of the original Gang had experienced personal loss but only he had been forced to confront it eye-to-eye. After long minutes of hesitating, he decided to break the silence. After all, the process of healing would likely be easier to begin together, away from their own dark thoughts.

"You know, I still feel her presence when I'm with you. In a way, I could imagine her speaking to me in any moment we're together." Littlefoot turned to look at the others. He didn't stop, however, as he wished to keep on going. Petrie was the first one to answer and his voice was abnormally agitated at this seemingly pointless reminder.

"We all do! Why you bring this up now, Littlefoot?" Petrie had had the hardest time aside from Spike and he really wanted to know what the longneck was after. His words were too obvious to be a mere unthought statement.

"Petrie… you may not understand but we have tried to help each other whenever we felt we needed some comfort. You never knew your dad whereas all of us lost one of our parents we knew, except for Spike." Littlefoot took a short break when Cera started to speak. Her voice was swift and far more bitter than Littlefoot's.

"Except that all of them passed because of sharpteeth or unlucky accidents… Ducky did nothing wrong! Hadn't it been for that damned sickness…" Tears started to once again flow from Cera's eyes as she started to dwell in the implications of the situation. One, single, unfortunate infection had robbed her friend's life at such an early age… She just couldn't accept such a monstrous thing. Littlefoot looked at her in clear compassion. However, he had never given up trying to come to terms with his first loss which did little to help him get over the tragedy but at least it gave him an opening to start the long process of healing.

"We could have all died during our time trying to find the Valley or after it. In fact… it's a miracle none of us have been killed before. She could have died those six Cold times ago… and she might have dozens of times more." Littlefoot sniffed heavily before he continued. "However, I'm happy I could know her for this long. If I hadn't found Ducky in the first place… neither one of us would have ever met the rest of you. She saved my life and I probably hers." None of the others found the courage to answer as the longneck finally broke down. Tears once again covered his eyes and his voice turned much more unclear. However, he continued with a determined voice.

"I loved Ducky as my own sister… I would do anything to bring her back… But we must do what we can… My mother never left me even if she's no longer here. I once accidentally heard Ducky and Cera sing a song about souls staying in the winds… I could hear that you two knew what life can be sometimes. Maybe… maybe you were right." Littlefoot turned to face Cera eye-to-eye who visibly twitched at the memory.

"It… it was a song we sang to mark our relief after our first journey together. I never thought it too much but… it does make so much sense now. I was crushed when I heard about my family's fate but I didn't really understand it because I wasn't there… with them. The song was Ducky's idea all along…" Cera continued her heavy sobs but they didn't seem as desperate as they once were. Maybe… just maybe… there was a chance that their friend wasn't gone completely. Cera had always tried to see things as they were but even she wanted to see think that Ducky was happy wherever she was, even if that wasn't what the threehorns taught each other about the Great Beyond. For them, there was only life, a time that was their only chance to leave a lasting impression and then a turn to step aside in the Circle of Life.

"But… why she sing something like that? That be no time to be sad… We just escaped death in the Beyond…" Petrie asked in a resigned but confused voice. He had known Ducky closer than the most and she had always been so cheerful and positive… who would she think about death when she didn't have to? To the flier's surprise, it was Ruby who answered his question.

"You might not know it but in the Beyond most swimmers don't survive for long and that's because of them getting caught by the sharpteeth. I've heard that they're taught a lot about the dangers they'll face. And the way I see it, facing those dangers likely affects their way of thinking greatly." Ruby spoke carefully but in her usual, thoughtful voice. Spike looked at her in slight surprise. He had known those details but he was surprised that the fast runner had heard about it as well. The spiketail only mourned that his main way of communication with his friends was cut.

All those present looked at each other in deep thought. Their world was a dangerous one and it was no small feat that they had managed to fend off those dangers as long as they had. Their lives would be thoroughly altered for the worse but at least they had known and loved the deceased swimmer. If she had been right about it in her song, maybe Ducky would live with them in every gust of wind and in the rays of the Bright Circle. They would miss and mourn her for the rest of their lives but maybe they could get some closure in the swimmer's beliefs. It was all that kept the six dinosaurs mentally together at this point.

Spike moaned slightly as he contemplated the situation. He had no choice but to move forward but the healing would never be complete. However, he would be forever grateful to Ducky for saving his life and for all the years they had spent together. The spiketail turned his eyes towards the sky and felt the swaying wind flowing slowly through the cold Valley. His sister would stay with him, wherever he decided to go.

 _I'll trust you with this, Ducky. You always saw the good in bad things. Just… be happy, wherever you are. Thank you for everything._

* * *

 **This is my entry for the Gang of Five April fanfiction prompt challenge. As you'll find out, it's a response to the first prompt. Personally, I'm very happy with how this story turned out but I must say that parts of it will be rather tragic so be prepared. I hope you'll find this fic a good read and please leave any feedback you might have. From this on, I have some projects planned out so stay tuned during the coming weeks. :)**


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